The present invention relates to a method for the remote controlled actuation of several control devices for support frames in underground mining by means of remote operation. The invention is further directed to an apparatus for the remote controlled actuation of one of several control devices for support frames in underground mining, with a remote controller with at least one radio transmitter and with at least one radio receiver for the control devices.
The face support frames applied in underground mining normally each have a control device, with which it is possible to actuate the individual assemblies in the support frame not only automatically via a central computer, but also, if required, to initiate the individual functions of the support frame manually. In order also to actuate a support frame manually from greater distances, actuation can also be remote controlled. A previously proposed remote control is the so-called neighbourhood control, in which the control unit of a support frame is connected to the control unit of a neighbouring support frame via a cable, so that a miner with the control equipment of one support frame can cause the neighbouring support frame to set, withdraw, step or otherwise actuate it.
In order to provide the miner with a greater play of movement for manual operation, it has been previously proposed that the control device of a support frame at a face be equipped with at least one radio receiver, so that it can be remotely operated using a radio transmitter. However, a problem with this radio remote control lies in that a directed selection of a control device over the radio transmission path is only possible if either each control device of a support frame has its own radio receiving section and its own associated remote control, whereby all the remote controls are distinguished by different transmission frequencies, or alternatively, by the use of only one remote control for all or several control devices it being necessary to allocate in advance a fixed identity to each control device, which must first be selected by the miner on the keyboard of the remote control, to select the control device to be actuated. In the event that the operator does not know the identity or network number of the control device to be actuated or transmits an incorrect identity over the remote control to the radio receiver for the control device, it can easily happen that the control device on the wrong support frame is actuated and this then unintentionally is withdrawn, jerked or otherwise moved, which in certain circumstances can lead to dangerous situations.
It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages, by producing a method and an apparatus of the construction described at the beginning of this specification, such that with it the desired control device to be actuated can be selected unambiguously even without knowledge of the identity assigned to the control device, whereby the transmission via radio of the control signals from the remote control to the control device should still be effected in a known reliable manner.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a method for remotely controlled activation of one of several control devices for support frames in underground mining by means of a remote controller, in which the control device to be actuated is selected by means of an infra-red remote controller land then the transmission of control data is effected between the remote controller and the selected control equipment is effected by radio transmission.
The present invention is also directed to An apparatus for the remotely controlled actuation of one of several control devices for support frames in underground mining comprising a remote controller with at least one radio transmitter and with at least one radio receiver for the control devices, in which each control device has at least one infra-red receiver and the remote controller has an infra-red transmitter, whereby the control device to be actuated can be selected by an infra-red transmission between the remote controller and the individual control device.
The invention utilises the fact that although in the transmission of data using radio the radio transmitter radiates over practically the whole area of space and therefore the directed selection of one receiver is not immediately possible, in contrast thereto, wireless infra-red transmission occurs only in a narrowly confined region, since the propagation angle for infra-red transmission is very small both for the received signal and for the transmitted signal. This means that for successful data transmission between an infra-red transmitter and an infrared receiver these must be deliberately directed towards.each other. Thus, when the remote controller with the infra-red transmitter is directed towards the control device to be actuated and a data transmission takes place between the infra-red receiver on the control device and the infra-red transmitter on the remote controller, the targeted control device is selected for the subsequent transmission of data by means of radio, whilst the other control devices do not receive the data transmitted by radio. The apparatus is preferably designed such that after a single successful selection of the control device to be actuated, the remote controller does not need to be directed towards it any longer, so that the miner can move completely freely in the face area for the subsequent transmission of the radio signals.
Advantageously several control devices are networked together on a data bus and have a common radio receiver. Preferably the remote controller has a radio receiver as well as the radio transmitters and in which the control device have in addition at least one radio transmitter. Radio communication between the remote controller and the control devices thereby is effected bi-directionally, so that not only can control commands be transmitted from the remote controller to the control devices, but in the reverse direction also, so that the remote controller can be instructed on the performance of the commands given.
In a preferred embodiment the radio transmitter and receiver are configured as a radio transceiver, and advantageously the infra-red transmitter and receiver are configured as an infra-red transceiver.
Advantageously, the remote controller has a keyboard unit and a display device, on which the miner can ascertain the instantaneous operating condition of the support frame to be actuated, even if he is at a greater distance from the support frame recently actuated.